INDUSTRIAL LEADER

INDUSTRIAL LEADER. The Industrial Leader, a weekly newspaper, was established by the Knights of Labor Co-operative Publishing Company, a stock company around 1880 and was published every Saturday. It came about as the Knights enjoyed rising membership and influence in the community. Officers included John STAFFORD, president, E. P. Lange, secretary, and Frank J. Sheridan as managing editor. (1)

The Industrial Leader was the news organ of the KNIGHTS OF LABOR in Iowa. Terence V. Powderly, the General Master Workman of the order, in the official journal, recommended the Industrial Leader as a paper that should be supported and read. Articles in the paper supported the idea of cooperatives for building homes, stores and profit-sharing as beneficial for labor (2)

In the January 1, 1887 issue, readers were encouraged to use independent political action to advance the themes of labor rather than depend upon the two major political parties. This resulted in an entire slate of Knight-supported candidates being elected to the Dubuque city government under the banner of the Labor Reform Party. (3)

Charges and counter-charges were made. In November, 1887 The Herald reported that a recent "Industrial Leader Extra" stated that county funds over the past ten years had been squandered in paying extravagant salaries purchasing supplies from "supporters of the ring." The Herald responded by pointing to "Knights of Labor Mayor" Christian Anton VOELKER who, as a Democrat, had been paid thousands of dollars for supplies and editorially wondered whether the newspaper was charging him with corruption and dishonesty. (4) Later the same month, the Herald the Union Labor Party, and the Knights of Labor through the Industrial Leader, its speakers and the Telegraph were attempting to charge that a recent fire was being blamed on them. This accusation was attacked by The Herald who claimed no one had ever made such a statement and that "the whole thing is silly." (5)

The Industrial Leader was merged into the Herald in 1888. (6)

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Source:

1. The Industries of Dubuque: Her Relations as a Trade Center, Dubuque: J. M. Elster and Company, Publishers, 1887, p. 90

2. Scharnau, Ralph. "Workers and Politics--The Knights of Labor in Dubuque, Iowa 1885-1890, Annals of Iowa. Des Moines: State Historical Society of Iowa, Volume 48, Number 7 (Winter of 1987), p. 361

3. Ibid., p. 366

4. "Mayor Voelker," The Herald, November 2, 1887, p. 4

5. "Local News in Brief," The Herald, November 8, 1887, p. 4

6. "The Telegraph-Herald's Record of Achievement," Telegraph-Herald, March 19, 1905, p. 33